In a headspinning series of moves today, the Alabama House of Representatives today voted to add gays and bisexuals to the list of classes of people protected by a state hate crimes act -- and passed a resolution praising Miss California for speaking out against gay marriage.

In a 46-41 vote today, the Alabama house approved a bill sponsored by Montgomery Democrat Alvin Holmes that would make it a crime to attack someone because of the victim's sexual orientation. The bill updates a law passed in 1994 that included race, colour, religion and national origin.

Also today, the body passed on a voice vote a resolution sponsored by Republican Montgomery Representative Jay Love praising Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean. Love said she stuck to her convictions even though it may have cost her the pageant.

At the Miss USA pageant earlier this week, Prejean, competing as Miss California, was asked by gay blogger Perez Hilton, a judge, if she believe same-sex marriage should be allowed across the country. She said: "in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there but that's how I was raised."

Hilton later said on his blog that she gave "the worst answer in pageant history", and that she lost not because she doesn't believe in gay marriage but because "she's a dumb bitch".